West Seattle Crime Prevention Council Meeting Tonight at 7pm

April 17, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Via West Seattle Blog:

PARKS SUPERINTENDENT AT WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL: Issues of safety and security at city parks arose after last month’s murder of Greggette Guy, believed to have happened at West Seattle’s waterfront Emma Schmitz Viewpoint. Tonight, acting Seattle Parks Superintendent Christopher Williams is the guest at the WS Crime Prevention Council‘s monthly meeting; Southwest Precinct police leadership also will be there as always to discuss the latest crime trends and answer community questions. 7 pm, SW Precinct meeting room (Delridge/Webster).

 

I'm just learning of this now, thanks to Suzanne, if any of our readers are going – please feel free to share your comments or what you learn at tonight's meeting.

UPDATE:  Here is West Seattle Blog's coverage of what was discussed regarding the murder of Greggette Guy.

Filed Under: Crime, Safety

Low Tide Lunch Time

April 9, 2012 by 1 Comment

Lowtidelunch
This looks too slimy to be a starfish. 

Filed Under: Puget Sound Tagged With:

Back to business for 4029 Beach Drive SW!

April 4, 2012 by 3 Comments

It's great to see one of our favorite old buildings on Beach Drive coming back to life as a small business again!  My wife and I ran into a couple of friendly guys moving stuff into this iconic location as we were taking a stroll north along the Drive. Being nosey bloggers that we are, we had to ask what was up?

A gentleman named Norm told me that he was planning to run his law practice out of the front of the space and use the back as a residence. He also told us he will do everything he can to keep the character of the circa 1928, 1610 sq ft space and was shooting for May 1st to be open for biz.

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Norm was gracious enough to let me take a few pics of the inside and around back of the historic building which can be viewed here. 

Want to know some history about the place? I knew you did!

An excerpt from Memories of Southwest Seattle Businesses describes the establishment at the northwest corner of Beach Drive SW and Carroll Street from the vantage point of what is now LaRustica Restaurant…

"Diagonally across the street at the northend of Weather Watch park, is another small storefront building. In the 50's it was a beverage store. They sold beer and wine and mixers, but no hard liquor. My friend Claudia Hickerson Moter lived there with her parents, Lyle and Juddy Hickerson. Lyle was seattle fireman stationed in North Admiral, and Juddy ran the store. The big street-side room was the store, with their living quarters at the back and below."


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This archive photo from the King County Assessor's Office shows the apartments next door (prior to current brick siding) with another small store-front at street level.

 

As you can see from this Seattle zoning map from 1923, this particular intersection of Beach Drive was full of small businesses in "the day"…


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The checkered section of this 1923 zoning map signifies "Business District" while the stripes stand for "Second Residences". 


Hmmm, Law office or Beer & Wine store? Law Office or Beer & Wine store? Oh well, either way…welcome to Beach Drive Norm!  


Scupper reporting for Beach Drive Blog

Filed Under: Beach Drive Homes, Historic Homes, Real Estate, Remodeling Tagged With:

Submarine Spied heading into Rich Passage

April 3, 2012 by Leave a Comment

This is the second submarine we've seen in roughly a week. What was especially interesting about this sighting is that there were about 10 people standing on the sub.

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Filed Under: Puget Sound Tagged With:

Fire in Condo Garage on Beach Drive

April 2, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Beach Drive was temporarily closed at the 3800 block of Beach Drive from an apparent car fire that took place in the garage of a condo.

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When we arrived at the scene, the building was being aired out and residents were waiting for the okay to return to their homes. 

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Filed Under: Beach Drive Homes

Seattle police increasing their presence along Beach Drive SW

March 27, 2012 by 4 Comments

By land and by sea, Seattle police are keeping their word regarding increased visibility along the Emma Schmitz Memorial Park.  This cruiser was spotted off the park Monday afternoon…

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Is this show of force making you feel safer? According to Captain Paulsen of the SPD during his report to concerned residents on March 20, he stated:

One of the things I have done is thrown some extra patrol cars down in the area, it’s not so much going to catch somebody or anything, but … this type of crime causes a lot of fear and we want to subside that fear by having this presence down there for you all. … Trying to think what else I’d like to say in regards to that. (watch video on West Seattle Blog) 

According to many of the neighbors within a stones throw of Emma Schmitz, shedding some light on the park would help the nerves a whole lot more.  A little digging has uncovered a successful attempt to light up a nearby park just north named Cormorant Cove (just so happens that Greggettes body was recovered at this park).

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When asking Seattle City Light what needs to happen to get the same treatment for Emma Schmitz, a representative responded…

The flood light on the pole by Cormorant Cove Park is being paid for by HARBOR WEST CONDO HOA which is the condominiums right next door. The light is actually angled toward the condo's although it is illuminating the park area too. If you'd like a flood light at Emma Schmitz Park my advice is to contact and get approval from Sea. Parks & Recreation at (206)684-4075. The monthly fee for a 400 W flood is $17.64. 

Well, I can tell you that this particular light is squarely focused on the park. There's another light on the pole just to the south that illuminates the condos parking lot. Less than $20 bucks a month?… I'll bet 2 months of park lighting that other Beach Drive neighbors would kick into a fund for lighting the lower section of Emma Schmitz for years to come. 

 Scupper for Beach Drive Blog

Filed Under: Crime, In the News, Parks, Safety Tagged With: ,

Seal Pup sunning on the beach at Emma Schmitz Viewpoint

March 26, 2012 by Leave a Comment

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A small crowd gathered on Emma Schmitz Viewpoint to watch a seal pup gather some sun on this lovely Spring evening. 

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A huge thanks to photographer TonJe' Taylor for sharing her camera battery with me.

Filed Under: Parks, Puget Sound, Wildlife

Practice makes more perfect for various rescue agencies

March 26, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Blakely Rock off the northeast of Bainbridge Island is the scene of several public agencies working on polishing their on- shore & near-shore rescue techniques and procedures.  Among the participating agencies include the Coast Guard, various city fire departments, police, and the Washington State Fish and Wildlife.

  RescueExersises

The recent coverage from the Bainbridge Island Review mentioned that this is not the first year for these rescue exercises at Blakely Rock (a popular destination for Puget Sound divers & kayakers at low tide).  Corey Williams, technical trainer for Northwest Maritime Rescue was quoted…

“We are going to be running a couple different scenarios based on some search and rescues from last year; panicked swimmers and divers, … A lot of agencies have no problem getting the kayaker out of there, but they don’t know what to do with the kayak,” Williams said. “If they leave it there, will they go through the proper procedures of reporting the kayak?”

Given warmer weather approaching and the popularity of personal sized paddle craft, this is time well spent by these agencies. You never know when one those guys trolling for salmon from a paddle board actually catches something and gets yanked off their boards!

Scupper, for Beach Drive Blog

Filed Under: Dives, Events, In the News, Puget Sound

Beautiful photo from today’s Regatta

March 24, 2012 by Leave a Comment

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Thank you to Rayetta for sending us this wonderful photo from the regatta today. Could they have had better weather? I don't think so! 

Filed Under: Puget Sound

Four Beach Drive homes turn 100 this year! (…and another one bites the dust)

March 21, 2012 by 1 Comment

Happy 100th birthday wishes go out to four homes spread out along the Beach Drive strip. Here they are in all their vintage glory from south of Lowman Beach to north of Mee-Kwa-Mooks…

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Happy100_4

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While all these homes are reported to have been built sometime in 1912, King County records may not exactly be the end-all in accuracy. Case in point comes from a fabulous publication "Celebrating 150 Years, Architectural History of West Seattle's North End" (which the owners of the most senior abode of the entire drive graciously lent to me). The assessor's office reports their 4701 Beach Drive home to have been born in 1900 yet research gathered for the book states…

Originally part of a 140-acre tract of land homesteaded during the 1860's by Leonard Oulet and his brother George, who were loggers, two structures at this location were mentioned in the Homestead Certificate from October 1869.

King county records listed several other homes with birthdays prior to 1912. Here's belated birthday wishes to two homes built in 1904, one in 1906, two in 1908, one in 1909, and  seven uh… make that six still hanging around from 1910…

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Note: There are great houses in the neighborhoods just off the main drag as well. If you are the owner of a 1912 beauty, let us know. You just may find a Beach Drive Blog Gnome sitting somewhere in your front yard!  

Scupper, reporting for BDB

 

Filed Under: Beach Drive Homes, Historic Homes
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